Fabregas: Leaving Arsenal was the hardest thing I ever did

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Cesc Fabregas was in the transfer-lime light throughout the summer. Premier League champions Manchester United chased the Spain international till the very end and went public about their desire (including the bids) to sign him. Whether there was any hint from the player is unknown, but in the end the deal didn’t materialize and Fabregas remained at the Catalan club.

The 26-year-old reaffirmed his commitment to Barcelona, while new manager Gerardo Martino stated that the former Arsenal skipper is an integral part of his plans.

In an interview with Banc Sabadell, the new commercial venture started by the midfielder, he reflected on the big changes in his life, moving to London and then again returning back to his home club.

Fabregas says that leaving Arsenal was the hardest decision he had to make in his life. He was very young, 16, when he left the Catalan club to join Arsenal, and there was little pressure on him then. But, after spending some glorious years at North London, where he developed into a world-class player, returning back to Barcelona, undoubtedly the best team in the world then under Pep Guardiola, wasn’t easy, as he was coming back as a finished product (with huge transfer burden on his shoulder) and understandably the expectations were lot higher from him.

And sometimes it takes time to work out perfectly, as we’ve seen that Fabregas didn’t enjoy the same rich vein of form, as he hoped for.

The Spaniard, who could have chosen a comfort zone by staying at Arsenal, said “sometimes you want to think about what you want to do, what you want to improve. And like I decided to leave when 16, when 24 I decided to go back to my home, and for an even tougher challenge, because I had much more to show than as a teenager.”

Fabregas has started this season brilliantly and has been playing well for his nation too. If he continues to prosper as the season progresses, then there’s no reason why he shouldn’t achieve his targets with his home town club. His sponsors will be hoping for the same too.